Opinion
Mobile as a tool for marketers
Gareth Reese
December 20, 2023
Today, mobile app usage is an indispensable part of our lives. There are now over 8.5 billion mobile phones in use worldwide - that’s more phones than there are people on Earth!
With that kind of captive audience available, it’s unsurprising that mobile app marketing has skyrocketed as savvy marketers seek to capitalise on this incredibly effective way to reach their target audiences.
Here are 10 ways that marketers are using mobile app content to enhance their marketing strategies:
Mobile apps can be used to create engaging and interactive experiences that attract new customers and build brand loyalty. By providing a seamless and convenient experience, they can help brands stand out from the competition and establish a strong presence in their industry.
Cookies and data capture forms can collect valuable customer data, such as demographics, interests, and purchase history. This information can then be used to personalise marketing campaigns and improve targeting, ensuring that the right message is delivered to the right customer at the right time.
Using data collected by cookies and data capture forms, marketers can craft personalised campaigns in granular detail. Factors like location, interests, and purchase history can all be considered, which is just one of the reasons why mobile e-commerce sales reached $2.2 trillion in 2023.
Mobile app marketing can be used to sell products and services directly to customers, whether it's through in-app purchases, mobile commerce platforms, or QR code integrations. By providing a convenient and secure payment gateway, mobile apps can make it easier for customers to make purchases.
One of the best mobile app features in terms of marketing is their ability to host interactive activities such as contests, giveaways, and loyalty programmes that encourage users to engage with the brand. Gamification and other interactive elements can seriously increase user engagement and foster a sense of community around the brand.
Loyalty programmes, such as points or virtual stamps, can be integrated into mobile apps to reward customers for their patronage. This can incentivise repeat business and encourage customers to become brand advocates.
It’s never been easier to get direct customer feedback about their experiences with the app or with the brand's products and services. This feedback can be used to improve the app, your products, and your services, and to gain extremely valuable insights into customer needs and preferences.
No more waiting until a campaign has finished to see what’s worked and what hasn’t. Mobile apps provide marketers with real-time data about user behaviour, such as app usage, purchase activity, and feedback, which can be used to make decisions about how to steer the campaign to get maximum results.
The ability to communicate with your customers directly via push notifications, in-app messages, and live chat is one of the most powerful weapons that mobile marketers have at their disposal. This can build stronger relationships with customers, foster loyalty, and address any concerns they may have, giving them trust in you, your processes, and your products and services.
Mobile app marketing can be an extremely cost-effective way to reach a large audience of potential customers, particularly when compared to traditional marketing channels such as print and television advertising.
To give you an idea of just how much mobile app marketing can contribute to top-line sales figures, here are three mobile app successes that big-ticket household brand names have enjoyed:
The Starbucks app allows customers to order and pay for their drinks and food in advance, as well as earn rewards points. The app is responsible for 50% of its business, and there’s currently $1.8 billion of unspent money sitting in Starbucks’s customer apps.
The Nike Run Club app allows runners to track their runs, compare their performance with others, and receive personalised training plans. While the app may be free, it’s driven a 150% rise in digital revenue, which also fed into a 200% increase in demand for its commerce app.
The Amazon app allows customers to browse and purchase products from Amazon, as well as receive personalised product recommendations. Amazon’s gross profit for the quarter ending September 30, 2023, was $68.061B, which is a 19.76% increase year-over-year. So, yeah, they’re doing all right for themselves!
Mobile apps are not just a trend; they’re now an essential part of the marketing landscape. As mobile technology continues to evolve, so will the potential for mobile app marketing. With the rise of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality, marketers will be able to create even more immersive and interactive experiences that engage customers on a deeper level - which means even bigger profits.
If you’ve been considering mobile app development for a while and this blog has given you the nudge to finally put things in motion, then take advantage of our free consultation call to learn more.
With the right mobile app strategy and the right tools, the mobile app we build for you can be a major driving force for any marketing campaign and take your company (and your profits) to the next level.
